


Shadow Games

by rainstormdancer



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types
Genre: Angst, Fluff, Gambling, M/M, Nightmares, Not Beta Read, Thanatos ships them so hard
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-14
Updated: 2016-12-14
Packaged: 2018-09-08 11:40:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,235
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8843317
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rainstormdancer/pseuds/rainstormdancer
Summary: Jules-Albert is a bro, Thanatos is a cool gambling Uncle. Fluffy slice of life, or as normal as it gets for demigods.





	

Nico thrashed, his sheets wrapping tightly around his legs. His shirt clung to him through the chilled sweatdrops that freckled across his skin. His long hair stuck to his neck and pulled tight across his throat every time his head flicked back and forth.

His dreamworld was Tartarus, again. Chains pulled tightly around his legs and he could not stand. The sticky inner belly of Tartarus stuck to his torso like flypaper leaving ice crystals across his skin. A thin rope wrapped around his neck pulled tight by a monster, just out of sight, eyes smiling through the dark as the Son of Hades struggled.

Meanwhile, Will Solace smiled softly in the chill morning air. Surrounded in the pale blue cold, he couldn’t help but feel energized from the rising sun. He strolled over to Cabin 13, intending to pester his favorite patient into spending some time with him before breakfast.  
Pulling one hand out of his sweatshirt pocket he knocked quickly on the hard black wood of the cabin’s door.

“Wake up, Sunshine!” He chirped. Will strained to hear and grinned at the sound of rustling bedsheets. “Nico? I’m coming in.” He grabbed the cold handle and blinked in the blacked-out cabin. Something wasn’t right. The smile fell from his face as he moved towards where he knew Nico’s bed was, annoyed that he still couldn’t see.

“Nico?” He whispered, “oh gods, not again.” He ran forward in the dim light from the open front door and grabbed the closest flailing hand he could.  
His fingers brushed the inside of his wrist, his pulse felt almost like a vibration it was so fast. Instantly, Nico’s hand jerked, nearly slipping out of his grip. He held tightly and reached his other hand forward.

“Nico! Listen to me! I’m right here. Breathe, dammit!” Will was starting to panic, he ripped the blankets off the bed. He brushed the hair out of his face and off his neck where it had been sweat slicked into the fold under his chin. 

Immediately, Nico gulped a huge breath of air, as if he had been swimming. He let out an agonized sound, breathy and painful, and his eyes flew open. Will let go and reached out to grab him by the shoulders, but the boy was already melting into the shadows.

“Oh for gods’ sakes!” Will sat back on his heels. Who knew where he would turn up? He could literally be halfway to China by now. He stood and kicked off a McDonald’s wrapper that had stuck to his pant-leg.

Twenty minutes later, Will dropped Nico’s entire portion of breakfast into the fire with a grumbled prayer to his dad to “keep the bone-head safe or something.”

N-W-N-W-N-W-N-W-N-W-N-W-N-W-N-W-N-W-N-W-N-W-N-W-N-W-N-W-N-W-N-W-N-W-N-W-N-W-N

When Nico finally blinked into consciousness, he wasn’t entirely sure where he was. He rubbed his head and glanced down at his bare feet and black basketball shorts. 

“Ugh, not again.” He flopped back onto the grassy dirt patch and stared at the sky. Okay, what’s the fastest way to figure out where I am? His eyebrows furrowed as his brain slowly started to wake up with the rest of him. He sighed and sent a thought to summon Jules-Albert.

About three or four minutes later he heard the roar of an engine. He lay still, too tired to do much else. It would be so much easier if he could just shadow travel home, but for that he had to know where he was. Besides, he was still exhausted.

A souped-up black Buick skidded into the clearing, showering him with a rooster-tail of dust. He stood and glared at the driver. Jules-Albert might have been grinning back at him, but his cheeks had rotted away and he kind of always looked like he was grinning.

“Borsa inutile di ossa.” Nico spat brown saliva on the ground next to the driver’s door and shook his head until his hair was black again.

Jules-Albert flipped him off.

“Half-Blood Hill? Is that cool with you?” Nico slapped at his clothes, raising another dust cloud.

Jules-Albert shrugged and pointed to his speedometer hopefully.

“Yeah sure, go as fast as you want. I don’t care.”

Jules-Albert leapt out of the car and opened the door to the backseat with a flourish.

Nico grumbled, trying not to smile. “Yeah, you’re welcome.” He climbed in the backseat and leaned his head back, closing his eyes.

It was nice to rest, but he couldn’t exactly sleep with his crazy chauffeur’s driving. He stared out the window listlessly. A sign whizzed past and he barely made out what it said.

Montpelier 28 mi

Hm, Vermont. That was a new one. They made a quick pit stop and paid for drive-thru McDonald’s with his Dad’s credit card. Soon they were heading for the hills of upstate New York.

Jules-Albert turned on the radio to some classic rock station or another and glanced in the rearview at Nico. Nico shrugged and leaned forward on the middle of the benched front seat, head resting on his forearms.

“So what is it gonna be this time?”

Jules-Albert pointed at the ceiling and made jazz hands.

“No. I draw the line at police lights. How about underglow? A couple rows of LED lights under the chassis?”

Jules-Albert seemed to consider it and then nodded his head vigorously.

“Deal, then you have my permission to put it on the card. Mid-grade though. Nothing too pricy so I don’t get my head bitten off.” Jules-Albert nodded and put up a fist. Nico fistbumped, sealing the deal. Nico’s eyes drifted forward, watching as they headed for a short tunnel that went straight through a hill.

The car shot into the shade of the tunnel and it immediately went dark. Then it was pitch black and the exit disappeared. Jules-Albert slammed on the brakes emotionlessly.

The car slid as the ground tilted sharply under the wheels. Nico’s head flew back into the headrest of the backseat as the car finally came to a complete halt. The headlights of the car flickered on, about ten seconds too late to be of any use.

N-W-N-W-N-W-N-W-N-W-N-W-N-W-N-W-N-W-N-W-N-W-N-W-N-W-N-W-N-W-N-W-N-W-N-W-N-W-N

Thanatos spread his huge black wings and smiled, his white teeth glowing in the dark cave. He stood immediately in front of the car and put up a hand, fingers waggling mischievously.

Nico groaned and sat up. “Fine. Have fun with the underglow, JA. Thanks for the ride.” The zombie chauffeur nodded and gave him a thumbs-up as Nico stuck a bare foot out of the car.

“Nico! How have you been? Where are your shoes, young man?” Thanatos grinned and crossed his arms.

“Fell out of bed again.” Nico mumbled. 

Thanatos snapped his fingers and a pair of black converse suddenly appeared on his feet.

Nico glanced down at his shoes and then back up at Thanatos.

“Fine, you have good taste.” Nico’s cheek pulled at a corner of his mouth against his will.

Thanatos smirked back. “If you help me round up a couple of stragglers I may even let you keep them.”

“What kind of stragglers? I don’t have my sword on me.” Nico folded his arms across his chest.

Thanatos sighed dramatically and snapped again, Nico’s sword skittered across the dirt in front of him.

Nico grunted, bending to pick up the sword, waiting for Thanatos to continue.

“You shouldn’t need it unless you make them angry. A recently-departed dog handler managed to charm Cerberus into giving her a ride over to Elysium before actually being judged. She may or may not have a pack of hell-hounds hanging around her as well.”

“All right, let’s get going then.” Nico stepped forward with slumped shoulders, he was regretting the basketball shorts, the Underworld was way too cold. This was going to suck.

Thanatos poofed them onto Main Street in Elysium. Cerberus stood in the middle of the road, a wisp of a spirit girl riding on its middle head. A dozen hellhounds milled around the huge dog’s massive paws.

Nico took a step forward, his sword at the ready. Sixteen sets of eyes flashed up to his blade. Everyone bolted, Cerberus and its new friend went one way, the pack of hellhounds went the opposite way.

Thanatos and Nico deflated simultaneously. 

“All right, boy. Rock-Paper-Scissors. Winner goes after the big one. Loser goes after the pack.”

Nico nodded and held his sword under his arm. “Two out of three?”

“No, sudden death. I like it better that way.”

Nico rolled his eyes, and promptly lost the game.

Thanatos grinned and waved as he sprinted off. 

Nico paused to strategize. What was the best way to get a dozen dogs back to where they were supposed to be? A smile lit up his face and he stretched his arms above his head. Yeah, he had enough energy to pop there and back, so long as he was quick.

N-W-N-W-N-W-N-W-N-W-N-W-N-W-N-W-N-W-N-W-N-W-N-W-N-W-N-W-N-W-N-W-N-W-N-W-N-W-N

Will Solace whistled happily as he took inventory of the medical cabinet. He checked two more items off his list when there was a sudden thump behind him. Two skinny arms wrapped around his chest, binding his arms down and making his clipboard clatter to the floor.

“Gotcha, sunbaby.” 

Will exhaled in surprise as he was pulled through the shadows to the underworld.

He nearly fell on his face, but Nico accidentally managed to keep him balanced.

“Nico! What in Hades are you….” He looked around, “Nico, we are literally in hades.” Will deadpanned.

Nico was bent over, his hands on his knees and breathing hard, but managed a smirk.

“Elysium actually, Thanatos borrowed me and I could use your help.” Nico stood up, arching his back and rolling his neck.

“I have no weapons!” Will flung his arms out in exasperation, “And aren’t you freezing?”

Nico took a deep breath. “You shouldn’t need them and yes, I could use pants.”

Will ran both hands through his hair and down his face. “You are literally the craziest person I know.”

“I know.” Nico grabbed his sword from the ground and turned to where the pack of hellhounds had headed. “I need help with some dogs.”

“They aren’t just dogs, Nico, they’re hellhounds. There’s kind of a huge difference.” Will spluttered as he and Nico crested a hill to see a nicely manicured lawn that the hellhounds thought looked an awful lot like a dog park. 

“Okay, death-boy, how do we do this?”

“You whistle them over, if I touch their foreheads, I should be able to send them back to their side of the river. I figured it was easier than playing tag for a few hours.” Nico shrugged.

Will nodded, took a deep breath, and whistled silently; his cheeks straining and turning purple. Nico snickered at his stupid looking face. Will’s face relaxed and he glanced at him smugly, as the first three dogs tackled the Ghost King to the ground with their huge fluffy paws. 

A short time later, the twelfth hellhound poofed away with a happy bark. 

“I hope Thanatos will send us home, it might be a couple hours before I can shadow travel again.” Nico led Will back to the center of Main Street.

“You shouldn’t have been shadow travelling at all, di Angelo.” Will jabbed his pointer finger into Nico’s sternum.

“To be fair, the first time wasn’t on purpose.” Nico pointed out.

“You boys fight like a married couple,” Thanatos made them both jump. A young spirit girl was standing next to him, being held by the shoulder and pouting.  
Will flushed and bowed his head. Nico was the same shade of red, but his eyes flashed upwards defiantly. “Shut up, Thanatos.” Will’s head flipped around, shocked at Nico’s irreverent response.

“Never,” Thanatos grinned, “Wanna play another game?”

Nico folded his arms. “Which one this time?”

Thanatos shrugged, “Eh, how about one-round sevens?” He held his free hand out, long nails unfurling to show a pair of ivory dice. “You get seven, I’ll send you and your boyfriend back topside with some new kicks.” He turned to Will and arched an eyebrow? “You have any problem with everlasting Converse? I guarantee they’ll never go out of style.” 

Will shook his head “No sir, no problem at all.”

Thanatos nodded and turned back to Nico, “I like him, he’s a polite one. You can keep him.”

“Thanatos.” Nico growled.

Thanatos smiled wider. “Fine, I’m in a good mood today. If you don’t get sevens, you’ll go back barefoot.” He shrugged, “Consider it a favor for helping me out.”  
Nico nodded and grabbed the dice. He shook them and threw them at his feet. One immediately rolled to four, the second dice spun for a moment and finally clicked down. Three heads and a ghostly face peered down at the two bone dice.

“Well, look at that. A four and a three. You’re lucky today, little one.” Thanatos waved his skeletal hand. The dice disappeared and a pair of bright yellow hi-tops appeared on Will’s feet. 

Thanatos waved cheerily with his free hand, “Arrivederci, piccolo re fantasma!” 

“Later, Voldemort.” Nico retorted. Thanatos turned slightly and with a wink they were standing at the top of Half-Blood Hill.

“I have always wanted yellow cons,” Will grinned.

“You know you’re a massive dork, right?” Nico raised an eyebrow.

“Yeah, but you like it.”

 

Translations:  
Borsa inutile di ossa = Useless bag of bones  
Arrivederci, piccolo re fantasma! = goodbye, little ghost king


End file.
